London!

I am not a fan of airports! Or airplanes! Especially when you're stuck on one for 8+ hours! But I'm in London now!!!! I'm super excited to start school in a week and a bit, but also super nervous! It'll be okay though right? As long as I remember what side of the road cars drive on so I don't get run over I think I'll be good! I'm really jet lagged though so I should probably go sleep.... I'll try to write more next week!

DFTBA,

-Kim

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand back.

Hey guys,

So I'm back. It's a little surreal, a little odd, a little different than I remember. But it's really, really, really good. I'm incredibly excited to be back with my friends, living in a new dorm (MUCH closer to the music building!), ready for a new year. Bring it on!

Needless to say, my posting may become irregular after this. :)

DFTBA,
Emily

GAH!

Jeepers creepers is it Thursday??? When did that happen???

So, um, yeah, nothing has changed in the last week, I'm still living in the threatre. We only have three shows left! And they're selling out fast, which is crazy! Earlier this week we started getting reviews on us published and they were all really good, 4 or 5 stars! I'm so proud to be a part of this show and I'm proud of the talent and dedication of my fellow crew, cast, and band. It's been a wonderful experience and I'll be sad to say goodbye to it in a few days.

For now though I really need to sleep. Sorry this was so short! I'll try to write more next week when I will either be in London or very annoyed with UK Border Agency (they still haven't approved my visa and I'm kind of stressing out...)!

Don't forget to be awesome!

-Kim

ONE WEEK

Hi guys,

So, yeah. One week. Seven days until I get on an airplane at 6am and fly back to California.

Since the anticipation has been killing me, I think it might be good for me to take a little time to think about what I'm grateful for here in Colorado. Here are three things that have made this summer bearable.

1. Time. The truth is, school is stressful-- we all know that. After the intensity of two semesters of the heaviest workload I've ever had, it's been really good to have the time to decompress. Read stuff I want to read. Have the peace of mind to actually write some music. Reconnect with some old friends. Spend days just doing nothing. Sure, doing nothing can become really boring, but sometimes it can be healthy too.

2. My Family. Now that I've been able to spend a lot of time away from my family, testing out my sense of identity on my own, I've been able to see how much they've influenced who I am. And you know what? I really love my family. Like, I really love them. And I'm more grateful for them now than I ever have been.

3. My Summer Job. Although having a generic (and rather unimportant) desk job over the summer got extremely boring at times, it was also a really good experience. It gave me a reason to get up in the morning. It put some money in my pocket-- I mean, uh, savings account. *cough* I got great work experience with database software and data entry. Best of all, my co-workers and supervisors were all very nice and patient with me (which is more than can be said for previous jobs I've had).

So I guess what I'm saying is, I know I've been griping about missing California, but the truth is there's a lot of good stuff here at home too.

For instance, today my dad and I drove up to Aspen to hear the dress rehearsal for the final performance of the Aspen Music Festival. Did you know that Mahler's 8th symphony is about 1.5 hours long? I do now. I also now know that the drive from Denver to Aspen has some of the most stunningly beautiful views in Colorado.

In conclusion, DFTBA.

Emily

P.S. My next post will be written from CALIFORNIA!!!!

Theatre Life

Hi there, sorry it's been a while.

It's Fringe time here in Edmonton so things are a little bonkers. By which I mean I pretty much eat, sleep, and live at the theatre. Well maybe not sleep, I don't have time to sleep while I'm there, but I definitely eat, live, and work there.

As tiring and stressful as it is I love doing theatre. It's such a collaborative process, actors, designers, technicians, directors, musicians, writers, composers, and everyone else, all coming together to create something beautiful. I'm proud of the work we've all done and made some really good friends along the way. I'll be sad when the show is over but that's how theatre goes, you come together through rehearsals and once the last show is done everyone heads their separate ways.

For now though we have 13 performances ahead of us. With opening night tonight, we can start sharing our art and the story of Spring Awakening with each audience member who comes through our doors.

DFTBA,

-Kim

I'm a horrible, horrible person

SOOOO hi,

Let's get this out the way, I'm horrible. I started out two months ago trying to get everyone to get onto the blog again and then I bolted.
Apologies for doing so, but it has been hectic busy round here.

I had an entire post half written about the opening ceremonies, however I've scrapped that.
Instead I'm keeping it short and sweet.

For as long as I remember the Olympics has been a big part of my life; granted I've only ever fully watched four Olympiads from start to finish that I can remember. Sydney 2000, Athens 2004, Beijing 2008 and London 2012.
My earliest memory of the Olympics (and my favourite) is of the Sydney 2000 games. It was hot. Stupidly hot, I'm pretty sure it was a heatwave. My Mum and I sat in the living room on the floor with lots of fans on and the curtains drawn. On the t.v the closing ceremonies was on. A single man, I can't for the life of me remember who he was, sat and sung 'kookaburra sits in the old gum tree' with his guitar. It was a mesmerising moment, he was alone in the centre of the stage, the entire place was dark and there was a single tree just next to him.

From the London games, I really hope the slogan follows through. 'Inspire a Generation'. I'm a big believer in the power and help of sports and hopefully the aftermath of the games brings about a change in the ways sports in held in schools in this area.

Hope you are all having a good time, and hopefully you'll be hearing from me on a more regular basis.

DTFBA

(P.S sorry to whoever's day I have nicked)

x 

Sooo...

I don't know where you guys are, but I'm still here.

The good news: I've been composing. It sort of keeps me sane. I would probably consider the piece I'm working on some of the best stuff I have ever written. That makes me happy. It also makes me happy to think I'll have something to give my friends when I get back.

The other good news: my family is awesome. Just saying.

Okay, well, I guess that's it. Bye.

DFTBA,
Emily

Is it time to go back to school?

Hey guys,

So recently, I've been really missing school. A lot. So much that it's been keeping me up at night. And even when I do get to sleep, I dream about Westmont.

It's weird– I mean, I do like it at home. I like watching movies with my parents and hanging out with my brother and just being in Colorado in general. And as much as I want to deny it, I even have a couple of friends here who I enjoy hanging out with just as much as my California friends.

I just don't belong here. I have belonged here in the past, and I may again in the future, but not right now. Right now I belong in Santa Barbara. I belong with my friends and my professors in a place where I can see myself growing.

Here, I just feel stagnant.

Sorry about the complaining. Next week I'll write something more upbeat, I promise.

DFTBA,
Emily

A very lame post

Hi guys,

I've literally been sitting here for about 45 minutes, starting to write on a subject, deleting everything, writing about something else, deleting it all again... rinse, repeat...

Frankly I don't know what to write about. I mean, I guess could say some stuff about the Olympics opening ceremonies but that felt like a cop-out. (My opinion: this was the first time I've watched opening ceremonies so I can't compare it to previous years, but it was pretty cool. I enjoyed the queen's entrance.)

Um. Yeah. I guess I can say this: I think I'm indecisive because I'm too afraid of what people will think if I really say what I want to say. Not that I was attempting to write anything offensive or radical or anything like that. But still. I can be terribly self-conscious sometimes.

By the way, Kim, I know exactly how you feel. And having never totally conquered all my fears or accomplished everything I've wanted to or learned everything I need to know about myself, I can't really give you advice. But I can sympathize.

DFTBA,
Emily

Confused

Sometimes I don't know what to say. To say, to think, to feel. There's so much going on right now in my life and around me that I don't even know what to focus on. It's like I'm being pulled in so many directions all at once that I don't know what to do.

So I do nothing. I just try to shove everything to the side thinking "oh I'll deal with it later." But later never comes and the more I don't deal with things the more the things build up and the more stressed and worried and nervous and confused I get.

There's this image in my head of trying to run a race where there's hurdles all along the track. It's actually easier to jump over the hurdles like they're intended but I have a fear that if I jump I won't make it over. So each time I reach one I slow down and move the hurdle off the track and out of my way. But that slows me down so much, and really takes so much more effort. I need to learn to jump. Sure the first few times I might miss and bang my knee but eventually I'll get the hang of it and it'll be worth it in the long run.

Does any of that make sense? I'm sorry it's so confusing and there isn't any context, I'm just trying to get words down to help put my thoughts in order. But maybe you can relate to the feeling?

DFTBA,

-Kim

Life is Precious

Hey guys,

The universe is weird. It doesn't all make sense and it probably never will-- not scientifically, not philosophically. There are some good things and some bad things.

Among the good things: I went to my first ever nerdfighter gathering today. Apparently there's a group of nerdfighters in Denver who have been meeting on a monthly basis for the past year. That made me kind of a latecomer, but they were as welcoming as you'd expect nerdfighters to be. We walked around downtown, played frisbee in the park, ate overpriced hamburgers on 16th street, and walked around a bookstore immaturely adding "in your pants" to the end of  book titles and laughing loudly. There were maybe maybe 12-15 of us in all, although not everyone was there the whole time

It was the first time I've spent time in a large group of people (approximately) my age all summer, and it felt good. Sometimes when you watch YouTube videos you forget that even though you're alone in your room, you're sharing that experience with hundreds, thousands, even millions of other people. And it good to realize that those other people aren't just usernames and digits in a play count, they are flesh-and-blood people.

Now, forgive me, but I want to talk a little about some bad things too.

I live about 30 minutes away from the Aurora movie theater where the now-infamous shooting took place. I know it's been horrific news for the entire country (and the world), but I think that those of us who live in the surrounding community have been the most shaken. Many of us either knew victims personally or know their friends or family.

Life is precious, guys. Like, I know people say that phrase so often that it can lose its meaning, but there are times when you realize it's true. Life is precious.

(By the way, I will not join the gun control debate at this point. It's impossible to foresee tragedies like this, and I think the victims deserve our respect right now, not bickering.)

I don't want to talk too much about this but I did want to share this with you quickly. This is a page to help support one of the victims, a girl whose family has been friends with mine for several years. Please check it out and help if you can.

http://igg.me/p/177903?a=905831

Thanks and DFTBA,
Emily

More blood!!!!

Hey all, sorry this post is a little late.

Caitlin, in answer to your question, I've really been neglecting the whole decreasing worldsuck aspect of nerdfighting lately. I'm going to tell you a little story that doesn't really have a happy ending.

The other day I accompanied my brother and his girlfriend to a blood donation center. The two of them were going to donate blood, and I was the "designated driver" (as apparently you're not really supposed to drive afterwards). We got there and it was a somewhat dingy room nestled in the 3rd floor of an office building.

There were several of those reclining hospital beds along the back wall, and as we walked in one of them was occupied. A middle-aged man lay there, disinterestedly watching the nearest TV. The tube coiled out from his arm and up to the little collection bag.

It was really red. Like, I don't know if you know this, but blood is really red.

And honestly? It kind of scared me. I'd been thinking recently that I'd like to donate blood, and even though I hadn't planned to on this particular day, it was good to see what it was like. At least, that was what I was thinking before I walked in. The second I saw the solid red tube taped to that guy's arm the words donating blood is freaking scary I don't think I ever want that to happen to me went through my mind.

We ended up having to leave because the lady didn't buy our story that I was my brother's legal guardian, so I didn't get to witness the whole process. My brother and his girlfriend went back a few days later but I didn't go with them; the idea still kind of freaks me out.

So I guess the point I'm trying to make is that sometimes doing what it takes to decrease worldsuck can be scary. And when you're someone like me, getting over those fears is hard. I want to promise you that I'm going to face those fears and donate blood by the end of this summer, but I honestly don't know if I could keep that promise.

Sorry, this is a bit depressing. I don't mean to be a downer. Maybe I just need some motivation....

DFTBA,
Emily

It Was A Dark And Stormy Night...

It’s almost 4am and I can’t sleep because a storm of doom is thundering overhead. There’s near constant lightning and thunder, so much hail it looks like it’s snowed, and the water is pouring down like I’ve never seen. To top it off the power’s out. (I’m on my laptop, which has a battery but the wifi’s out so I’m on Word and this’ll be posted to the blog later.)

It’s funny the things that I’m noticing though. How when the power goes out we kind of shut down, but at the same time we don’t. How even without the computer I’m still on Facebook through my phone and seeing all the status updates of those awake during the storm too.  How I go to get a battery operated light, but upon noticing the battery is dead I still go to plus it in before realizing that won’t work.

There’s a weird clash of emotions too. Right now, sitting in my bed with the light of my laptop and a light-up Sorcerer Mickey Vinylmation I’m content. It’s almost peaceful just listening to the rumbling and the rain in a little cocoon of soft light and blankets. Yet the second I climb out of my bed everything is suddenly a lot more terrifying. It takes me back to when I was a child and the only safe place at night was curled up in my bed, stick so much as a toe out and something might get you.

I’m a very young adult but I’m definitely not a small child anymore, so I wonder if the fear hasn’t gone away by now will it ever? On the flip side though there will always be the safety of my bed.

DFTBA,

-Kim

P.S. It's evening now and clouding over again but most of the day was nice. The hail did quite a number on our yard though, the flowers are all pretty crushed and there's leaves and pine needles from the trees all over the place :S

Donating blood and good things.

Hey all. 

As you may be able to tell by the title of this post I donated blood today. 

It started off with a series of questions in a private interview where we went through a list of countries where I may have gotten malaria from, malaria which I don't have but needed to go through as a safety precaution... Tip: If you want to donate blood in South Australia, not having had lived in South America for 6 months or longer really helps.

Then we tested to see if my blood had enough iron, and it did, and then I got a needle stuck into me for maybe about 45 minutes. IT WAS SUCKING MY BLOOD. AH, I DON'T LIKE NEEDLES. 

But I survived. Got through. Donated blood. Got free food and drinks and then went home with an aching arm. 

I have a point here, I'm not complaining about donating blood, I promise. Anyways, even though I get freaked out by blood being taken out of me and possibly given to another person, I know it's a good thing to do. And I've done it so I can go through live by saying that I have donated blood, etc etc.  

Thinking about it, life seems to be compiled of good things and bad things, doing good acts and doing bad acts. As Nerdfighters, we seem to be (or at least I think) people who fill our lives with good things and good acts that decrease world suck. Donating blood is one way to do this, not the way I prefer, but a way.

The way I prefer is through charities, organizations, etc... Things that help decrease the suck in our world that is poverty and world hunger. One of my passions in life is helping the fight against poverty and world hunger, and I fuel this passion by participating in doing fundraising things. Earlier this year I ran Live Below The Line within my school for the year 11s and 12s. I alone raised more than $300 and the school raised around or more $2000. In a month or so I'll be participating in the 40 Hour Famine for the 3rd time. (My profile is here if you want to check it out, I really encourage you guys to do it.) And in November, as I mentioned in my previous post, I'll be heading out to Vietnam with my school for 15 days to do some world suck decreasing as I like to put it... 

And so, because I suck at ending things, I leave you with a question.

What's your way of decreasing world suck? Mine's through the things mentioned before, so what's yours? 

Maybe we can do something together. 

DFTBA, Caitlin xo

Confessions of a classical music nerd

Hey all,

There's been a lot on my mind recently. Has it ever happened to you that you've suddenly found yourself believing something you once told yourself you would never believe? That's what happened to me. (Sorry if this is uninteresting but it's what's been on my mind recently so I want to write about it.)

Some background: through high school, I always despised the musical philosophies of the 20th century. That is, the sort of attitude that says only the educated elite can understand music. Composers wrote stuff that sounded like garbage (or like nothing at all) and everyone was expected to appreciate it or risk looking unsophisticated. Basically, it just alienated audiences and made the classical music scene unapproachable and, frankly, unappealing.

 Over the course of the spring semester, I'd been sort of formulating a philosophy of composing. My private teacher is sort of a 20th century kind of guy, and in a lot of ways, he has helped me appreciate the good that came out of that era of music. In fact, as the semester went on, I gradually found myself accepting that I was (like the other music students) learning to appreciate music on a higher level than the average person. In a sense, I suppose this is true; at least from a theoretical perspective I'm becoming more and more knowledgeable the more I study.

It wasn't until I got back here for the summer and started talking to the musicians I looked up to in high school that I realized how much of a snob I was turning into. It's actually quite depressing. Honestly, I realized I'd started claiming to like lots of music that in high school I would have found obnoxiously pretentious. Did I actually like it? Not really. I "appreciated" it. I knew that it was technically "good" music, and if I wanted to be a good music student I needed to listen to it.

As for where I am now, I've learned a lot but I'm struggling to find a balance between my creations needing to be beautiful and needing to be intellectual (if that makes sense). There are certain ideas that I'm glad my teacher has imparted to me. But there are others I wish I didn't feel obligated to accept simply because I'm his student.

The moral of the story? I'm a classical music nerd and I'm not ashamed of it. But there's a difference between enthusiasm born of love and enthusiasm born of a need to look or feel intelligent. I think that those of us who call ourselves nerds can sometimes lose sight of the line between the two. Let's not not abandon the things we believe in just because we want to look smarter in the eyes of our friends or teachers. Okay? Okay.



Alright, that's all I have to say. I hope I managed to make some sense in this post-- I guess it's really directed to myself but maybe you got something out of it. Hope to see lots of posts this next week! :) And we really need to plan our life in a day project soon.

DFTBA,
Emily

Summer Movies

I've been going to a bunch of movies lately so I thought I'd talk a bit about the ones out right now that I've seen. With that said, here we go!

Brave
I've seen it twice already and really enjoyed it! It's Pixar's first time doing a fairy tale, their first time with a princess, and their first time with a female lead, but I think they pulled it off rather nicely. The plot isn't anything too extravagant, it's more just a fun, heartwarming, family film. The animation and visual aspects are beautiful! And there's lots of humour and adorableness in it! <3 <3 <3 <3

People Like Us
It was alright, a touching story based on true events sort of thing. I enjoyed it but it's not one I'd want to watch over and over. <3 <3

Snow White and the Huntsman
Another one I've seen twice, I kind of love it. It's so well done, and visually captivating. A lot of the creative team is the same as the live action Alice in Wonderland so it has a similar look and feel, just minus the Tim Burton. I was a little worried about it having Kristen Stewart but I actually didn't hate her in it. I'm not saying I liked her, but I didn't hate her as much as I normally do. And CHRIS HEMSWORTH AND SAM CLAFLIN. That is all. <3 <3 <3 <3 <

Dark Shadows
I'm not too sure what to say. It has the Tim Burton, Johnny Depp, and Helena Bonham Carter trio but was even a bit strange for them. Vampires and magic and the '80s were an interesting combination but a strange one. For the most part I did enjoy it though, and even if I'm not too sure what to make of it I'm glad I saw it. <3 <3 <3

The Avengers
Yeah it's been out for a while but it's still in theatres and all I have to say is GO SEE IT! NOW! DROP EVERYTHING AND RUN TO THE THEATRE!!!! <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

What movies has everyone else been seeing and what are your thoughts on them?

DFTBA,

-Kim

Hiatus.

So hey there. It's been a while. How are you? Good I hope. What's been going on in your life?

Me you ask? Oh, I've been fine. Hurting over VidCon... Organizing gatherings. The norm. I'm going to Vietnam in November for 2 months on a Pilgrimage so that should be good.

Queen's playing in the background so I'm slowing waking up!

It's about 7:30am, I woke up 5 minutes ago, and I have a fulled packed day planned.

I've decided that, like a TV show, I've been in hiatus for half a year. But I'm back on now.
DFTBA~
Caitlin xo

Hm....

Hey all. Hope everyone's still out there.

Honestly, I don't know what to post about. I was really hoping that by now one of you would have asked me a question I could answer, but now I have to come up with an idea all by myself.  So harddddddddddddd. Bleh.

Um. Here is a poem I wrote about the fires here in Colorado.

What hellish feet among the aspen, what

vicious hands

casting demon shade

across the cruel, red-robed general of the sky–

have mercy, O god of flame!

The moon weeps. She bends

to us, a bloodshot eye

drained of healing tears

and

watches the armies march on. 

Thoughts on compassion

Hey guys,

I've had this thought on my mind recently, and maybe this is a strange way to say it but... have you ever wondered where to draw the line between compassion and stupidity? 

The other night I was walking downtown with a couple of friends (both female) when we were approached by a man in his mid 30's. He was holding a cell phone in one hand and leading a small child with the other. 

He stepped up to us as we were passing by on the sidewalk and said, "Excuse me, but could I get you ladies to help me? My son and I were just..."

At this point, I had already stopped. I was about to ask him what was wrong, how could I help, was he okay? etc. But my friend kept walking, brushing him off and muttering, "No."

Immediately, I realized how sketchy it was that this guy just happened to ask three teenage girls for help  on a dark sidewalk in the middle of the city at night. That's sketchy right? I held on to that thought as we passed him and he began to call after us, specifically to my friend who had first said no. 

"Oh that's bad. That's just bad. You're a bad lady. You're ugly too!"

Once we reached the parking garage and were in the car, I told my friend what my thought process had been, how it was only after seeing her reaction that her immediate conclusion even occurred to me. She made it clear that she did not regret for a moment walking past that guy. However, it's been several days since this all happened and it's still nagging at me. 

The question I'm asking myself is, does this make me more compassionate than my friend, or simply more stupid? Can compassion impair a person's ability to make sound judgements? And if so, is it more important to be compassionate or to be smart? Which is most helpful to most people? When is it the better choice to care about yourself instead of those around you? 

Suppose giving your last $5 to a homeless guy on the street meant saving him from a miserable, hungry night. That's compassion, right? However, suppose that $5 would have bought your train ticket to a fundraiser where you would have raised 200 times that much money and could have helped 200 more people. That's stupidity. ... Right? 

I don't know. The problem with that situation is that it doesn't exist. What does exist is the man on the street with the small child asking for help. And frankly, even if he was lying about whatever situation he was supposedly in, he still somehow needed something, and maybe I could have helped him. 

Anyway, just some thoughts to chew on. Hope everyone's week went well. Looking forward to future posts! Don't forget I've promised to answer any questions about myself you want to ask, so ask away!

DFTBA,

Emily

Moving Forwards

At some point everyone needs to start over. You reach a point where what you're doing just isn't going the direction you wanted so you take the paper you're writing on, crumple it up, toss it to the side, and start writing on a fresh sheet. Metaphorically speaking that is, we can't exactly crumple the internet. But we can try to take a step back and try to figure out what's working and what isn't and hopefully move forward with a renewed sense of direction and a fresh serving of perspective. (Is anyone else thinking of Ratatouille right now? No? Just me? Alright.)

A step backwards:
As I've grown up I've had the opportunity to travel a fair bit. I love travelling, seeing new places and experiencing new cultures. Often I've wondered what it would be like to have grown up somewhere else, what things would be similar, what would be different, what views and opinions are held by people my age that have grown up with a different society/culture/government/etc. So I started writing on a blog, with others of my age but all of us from different places. The blog was an opportunity for us to meet each other, learn about each other, and form friendships with each other. It started out really well but somewhere along the way life came in with exams, homework, jobs, school, etc. and the blog got set to the side. Life, however, is always going to be busy so it's up to us to make room in it for the blog and that's what I'm going to try to do.

Moving forwards:
I promise to make room in my life, not only for writing on the blog but for all of you and for your friendship. I will try not to miss another Thursday this year (though Aug. 30th may not happen because of planes and jet lag and crossing too many time zones for my brain to understand dates and times). I'll put more thought and consideration into what I write. Rather than listing facts about me and things that I've done I'll try to show more of who I am, the things that matter to me, and the things that make me who I am. Moving forwards I can't promise perfection but I do promise I will try.

Don't Forget To Be Awesome,

-Kim

Rekindling the flame?

Hey guys.

Remember when the blog was new? Remember that exciting honeymoon period when we each couldn't wait to write our next post? When we spent time thinking about the theme we'd chosen for the week, or the questions we were going to ask each other?

The truth is, I know I've been busy and I haven't been good about writing, and so have you, but I miss those days. Could we maybe try to bring them back?

I think Sim said something really important in her recent email when she said that the blog was about getting to know each other. Maybe we should be trying to do that again. The past year I've been doing a lot of growing and changing– I'm not really the same person I was when I first started writing to you guys. I suspect each of you can understand something of what I mean. Even though we may know a few facts about each other, that doesn't really mean we know each other, especially when we, as humans, are so changeable. Getting to know, and continuing to know, one another takes active participation on everyone's part.

The point? I want to share a little more of who I am with you guys, and I want to see each of you do the same. The fact that we are all friends is a pretty amazing thing, and not to use this opportunity --this blog-- to connect with each other is a huge waste.

Don't feel like I'm trying to lecture anyone-- I'm talking to myself just as much as to you. I just... I don't know. I feel sort of convicted about it, for some reason. I want to know you guys. I really do.

I'm going to take the first step. Here are my rules for the summer (these are for me personally, but you can choose to follow them as well):

1. I will not miss another Saturday for the rest of the summer.
2. I will not write any short and impersonal "this is what happened to me recently" posts– I'll actually have something to say.
3. You can ask me any question (within reason, obviously) in a post or a comment, and I will do my best to answer it honestly in my next post.

So there ya go.

DFTBA,
Emily

P.S. We really do need to make that "Life in a Day" thing a reality.

Eurocup 2012!

My life is currently boring and unchanging. I hardly leave the house (I swear I'm getting cabin fever), I keep looking for jobs and applying for jobs and not hearing back on any of them, it's very frustrating.

So let's talk about news elsewhere!

In national news Toronto has banned plastic bags. The mayor wanted to get rid of the 5cent fees on plastic bags and then a council member went "Hey, why don't we just get rid of them altogether?" and the rest of council thought "That's a great idea!" So they banned plastic bags while the mayor facepalmed and started contemplating the effects of this hasty decision.

In local news plans for the new downtown arena continue and seem to be slowly gaining more support than when it was initially proposed. The city is also gearing up for the Edmonton Indy which takes place this weekend! I think, I don't really pay attention to racing that much.

In weather we are expecting rain throughout central and southern Alberta for the rest of the week. Generally appreciated throughout the prairies but a bit concerning in towards the mountains where a couple of rivers are already spilling over their banks just from the seasonal run-off and snow melt.

In sports news (other than the Indy) UEFA Euro 2012 starts tomorrow and I'm super excited!!! I'd love to see Netherlands win it all but I'm thinking it'll be a Spanish win, Germany in 2nd, Netherlands in 3rd, and England 4th. We'll see how it goes though, it'll be an exciting few weeks!

Well I think that's all I have for news.

DFTBA,

-Kim

A Triumphant Return...of sorts...

Hello All,

It seems like months since I last posted, and it probably has been. Sorry about that.
The main reason I've been away is because I've been really busy preparing for university and for my final exams which are going to take place in a few weeks.

So I'm going to keep this short and sweet. As I haven't really been doing much expect studying, its the only thing I can really talk about. Currently I study Psychology, Biology and English Literature.
- For Psychology, I have to learn three topics. It starts with an essay section on Schizophrenia; the different theoretical causes, treatments and issues with treatment and diagnosing patients. Then I have a section on Anomalous Psychology, otherwise known as Parapsychology. This is basically looking into claims about ESP, Psychokinesis, Spirits/Mediums etc. I despise this topic with a passion. I find it to be the most difficult topic as there is not definitive proof, its 'too wishy-washy' for a scientific brain as my teacher says. The last topic is Research Methods; this is just a section about how to conduct and analyse experiments. 
- In Biology, we study a range of topics, this exam in particular focuses on nerve impulses, synapses, feedback, protein synthesis and gene technology.
- In English Lit. I've already completed my coursework which was about gender stereotypes in a range on works including Charles Bukowski and Angela Carter. My exam is split into two sections; one essay about Othello and one essay is a comparison between Doctor Faustus and The Pardoner's Tale, taken from The Canterbury Tales. 


I wish I had something more interesting to talk about, but those are the only few things floating around my head at the moment. 
In my brief spare moments I watched Crazy, Stupid, Love. I really did not think I was going to enjoy it, but I found it exceeded my expectations. If any of you haven't watched it I highly recommend it. Its about a middle-aged man named Cal (Steve Carell) who ends up separating from his wife and how he tries to rediscover himself after meeting Jacob (Ryan Gosling) in a bar one evening. It's a good laugh and quite sweet too, also Emma Stone is in it and I'd watch anything with her in it! 


Soon my exams will be over and I'll be able to talk about more exciting things. 
Hope everyone is doing well and hopefully talk to you all soon!

As always, DFTBA 


Sim 

School is too darn expensive

I'm sorry I haven't been posting! My life is in chaos right now, which really isn't a good excuse but yeah, chaos.

I have tonnes to do to get ready for school in the fall, which I'm freaking out about and stressing about, but hardly any of it can even be done yet. It's too early to pay my deposit (which I found out after phoning student finance like five times), I can't make my visa application until I've met all the conditions of the school's offer to me, one of which is paying my deposit (which is the only one I have left to meet), student loan applications aren't available until June so at least that's coming up soon, and I won't be sent any materials lists until July or something silly like that.

Pretty much the only thing I'm able to do right now (other than stress) is work and save up money. The problem is my current job is giving me less than ten hours a week so I have to get a second job to help supplement. So pretty much I just keep looking for jobs and applying for jobs and not hearing back on any of them and so looking for more and applying for more and still not hearing anything and getting frustrated and more stressed and I'm already going to have so much student loan debt and I just need a full time job to help lessen the amount of debt I'm going to be in since I'm going into the arts and won't exactly end up with a fantastic paying job after school to cover all the debt for school but I don't really care because I want to do what I love not what will make me rich but money sucks and I'm stressed!!!! :S

Sorry, just needed to rant there. But actually, that made me think of something somewhat interesting to talk about.

I don't know if this has been on the news outside of Canada at all but for the past few months there's been a lot going on in Quebec. Basically the Quebec government decided that they needed to raise tuition fees at post secondary institutions. The proposed increase would be (if I remember correctly) $200 per year over three years.

Well, the students in Montreal (Quebec's largest city) were very upset with this news and decided to protest the increase. Students went on strike and have been swarming the streets holding protests and demonstrations every day, nothing too violent but it's all been closely monitored by the police, student leaders have been in meetings and negotiations with the government, and classes have been suspended until some kind of agreement is reached.

I have mixed opinions on the whole affair. On the one hand I think that the Quebec students are being spoiled little babies, even after the increases their tuition fees would still be the lowest in the whole country, the majority of them probably don't even have to consider the burden of student loans to afford their education. On the other hand though, having to deal with ridiculously expensive tuition fees, I appreciate what they're trying to do and hope that the notion of post secondary education being affordable will spread elsewhere. And if that's the case I hope they keep fighting the good fight.

Many of you are already in, or starting, university/post secondary so what are your thoughts on the matter? Do you think that governments should be doing more to make post secondary education affordable for all or should it be an individual's responsibility? And do you agree with the extreme protests of the Montreal students?

DFTBA,

-Kim

China! (and the end of my first year in college)

Ten days, three cities, five concerts, one amazing trip.

I just got back from touring China with my college orchestra. It was really, really incredible. Certainly a trip I'll remember for my entire life. Some memorable moments include climbing the Great Wall, walking through the Forbidden City, and singing karaoke with Chinese college students.

While I was there, I learned a few things. I learned how to better imagine others complexly. I learned that cultural differences can be intimidating, but they're worth overcoming. I learned that first impressions can sometimes be really wrong. And I learned that the most valuable part of any experience like this is the friendships you make along the way.

The trip was really the best way to end the school year. I'm back in Denver with my family now, the first time I've seen them since Christmas. It's good to be back, and it's really great to see how much I've grown in the past year (and even the past ten days!).

In other words: good times, my friends. Good times.

Hi, Hope you're Well

Firstly I'd just like to say that Emily, your piece was beautiful and thank you for sharing it with us! As for Pottermore I think it's an interesting concept, and a new way of using technology to enhance the reading experience. That being said, I do think there's maybe some bugs to work out, and improvements still to make but I think it's a nice compliment to the books and a way to help keep them going strong even years after the initial publications. There are certain aspects of it I'm not a huge fan of, I feel like a lot of the descriptions are repetitive and oversimplified if you know the books well but I love that we're also getting new information so I'm kind of torn as to what my overall opinion is, I'm interested to see how it goes as it grows and changes are made.

Secondly I'm sorry it's been a while since I posted, life's been a bit hectic lately. I've started getting things organized for school in the fall and I'm looking into all my applications for student loans and a student visa and all that. I've also been looking for a second job for the summer so I can save up a bit more and hopefully not need as much in loans. Pretty much I've been busy but not with anything overly exciting, mostly paper work :S Oh well, once it's all done and fall comes around I'll be back in school and having a grand old time!

DFTBA,

-Kim

After Prayers, Lie Cold

Hey guys! I haven't forgotten about you!

Finals week is looming and I should really get back to studying, but I wanted to pop in and give you all an update on what's happening in my life. A while ago I mentioned the Composers' Concert where I'd be conducting an original choral piece– well that was Wednesday and it went really really really well. I've uploaded my piece to SoundCloud so that I could share it with you all. And here it is! Ta-da!



After Prayers, Lie Cold

In (not-so) other news, I'm seriously considering becoming a music composition major. Which means I've been doing a lot of soul-searching and talking to people and thinking and etc. I wish I had time to elaborate but suffice it to say that I've grown a lot this semester and it's been really good.

I hope you all are doing well! Let not the blog die!

Oh and by the way, I finally got on Pottermore. Personally, I don't like it much, because for me Harry Potter was a huge part of my childhood as a book. I don't need an "interactive experience" to relive something that was already (in my mind) perfect. But I certainly see the appeal! Do you guys have strong opinions about Pottermore?

Keep in touch!

DFTBA,
Emily

The New Book

September 27, 2012

The Casual Vacancy

By J.K. Rowling

"When Barry Fairweather dies unexpectedly in his early forties, the little town of Pagford is left in shock.

Seemingly an English idyll, with a cobbled market square and an ancient abbey, what lies behind the pretty façade is a town at war.

Rich at war with poor, teenagers at war with their parents, wives at war with their husbands, teachers at war with their pupils…Pagford is not what it first seems.

And the empty seat left by Barry on the parish council soon becomes the catalyst for the biggest war the town has yet seen. Who will triumph in an election fraught with passion, duplicity and unexpected revelations?

Blackly comic, thought-provoking and constantly surprising, The Casual Vacancy is J.K. Rowling’s first novel for adults."

This is nearly the only thing on my mind today! I'm so excited for this book, and while it's not Harry Potter I'm optimistic that she will have done just as good a job on this novel as on HP. What do you guys think?

DFTBA,

-Kim

Movie Adaptation

The problem with film adaptations of books is that they are different mediums and can never be exactly the same. Books allow us the luxury of vastly different readings and interpretations. The words are the same but how we hear them and understand them, the pictures we see in our minds will all be different. When it comes to a film a lot of that is fixed into place. Visually everyone is presented with the same images. In terms of audio we hear the same voices and the backing music sets a distinct tone. Films bring our imagination to life yet restrict the variances of imagination.

Up until I saw the Hunger Games I always had issues seeing the film adaptations of books because they never matched the visions in my mind. Things were changed, lines delivered differently, scenes cut, etc. When I watched each of the Harry Potter films for first time I loved them of course, and yet there was always a part of me that was upset about things being different.

After seeing Hunger Games though I realized exactly what film adaptations should be. Because The Hunger Games did it perfectly. It's impossible to directly turn a book into a movie, it's impossible to get every detail right, and you have to cut so much when you don't have the luxury of time. So THG tossed aside trying to do a direct retelling of the story. They threw away the exact scenes and the plot and instead took the ideas which drive the story forward. They built a film around the heart of the story and told it in a manner which fits the media they are working with.

And it wasn't just about the first book, they've made it intending a sequel. I felt like they brought in ideas from Catching Fire because it made more sense to have them in the first film, and in turn some story lines from the first seem to have more relevance in the second film. It's not about telling this story one book/film at a time but telling the story as a whole.

I don't know if I'm quite making sense, I feel like the film is dealing more in the abstract than the tactile elements, but it's beautifully constructed. I'm so grateful for this film and I think it shows a lot of promise for the future of book adaptations.

Hopefully we'll never repeat the awful mess that was The Golden Compass movie. Can we pretend that never happened? It butchered one of the most amazing series I've ever read.

I hope you all are well!

DFTBA,

-Kim

You'll never guess what..

...I'm ill again -.-

Hello All,

So its that time again when Sim is ill and she sits around feeling all pathetic and has nothing to do but rant and attack her laptop for not loading fast enough.

Right so, since the last time I was ill (that's how I'm counting the days now :P) I've had a pretty hectic time. So let me fill you in on a few of the things that happened.

Numero Uno:
My sister got engaged! YAY! So my sister is engaged to this wonderful guy named James. He's an awesome big brother and I am so proud of them. In our culture, the engagement (otherwise known as the Chunni and Shugan) is a big deal. It's a giant event in which the groom's family visit the bride's family and bring her gifts and do a little ceremony to signify that basically she's off the market and vice versa XD It was a long weekend of getting things done, but it went off without a hitch and everyone had a good time.

Numero Dos:
On the Monday after my sisters engagement I travelled 265 miles from my town to a city up north known as Durham. Durham is this wonderful city drenched in history, culture and beauty. I went there as part of a one night stay at the university of Durham as they have offered me a place next year. I absolutely loved it and it was a brilliant two days where I got to meet new people and basically took two days off school!

Numero Tres:
I saw the Hunger Games. My gosh. Well I'd love to hear what you guys thought about it. I finally got around to reading it last month off the back of Chuck's recommendation last year 8-) And whilst I loved the book and thoroughly enjoyed the movie, I felt like I needed to experience them as different pieces to truly enjoy them without tainting my opinion of either.
I find this a lot when I read books that have been turned into movies. The thing I love about books is that they can be so ambiguous; manipulated by the author but ultimately moulded by the reader. It comes down to this; every person who has read a book will have a different (even if it is only slightly) reading, and so movies, in my opinion, only really reflect the interpretation of the director and other key members involved in the design and filming of a book-adaptation.

Numero Quatro:
Now on to something a little more controversial/deep. I recently watched a BBC 3 documentary called 'I never said Yes'. This documentary about rape focused on the effects of rape and how the narrator felt the justice system was failing victims as over more than half of reported cases never made it to trail and how many women were not even reporting rape due to the stigma attached to it.
However this programme angered me for that very reason. Women. It discussed everything to do with women being raped by men. Men can be raped too. Women can be raped by women too.; yet none of this was even mentioned. This really bugged me. The show did nothing of trying to decrease the stats or even to help the victims (much, though she did help a little). Why is it that people now think that just by talking about a subject it will go away? I understand that highlighting the subject is important, getting it into the public's eye will help bring about change. But the way in which the show attempted to do so was not far enough. I believe that if you want to make a change, you need to go all the way, don't test the waters first, because if you do, you'll always find a way of backing out. I don't know if that makes much sense, but this has been bugging me since I watched it the other day and when trying to vent about it to my friend, I became muddled in thought and went off on a tangent.

On a lighter note, it's time for me to have medicine and sleep :D

Hope everyone is having a good week (and feeling healthy),

and hope to hear from you all soon,
Dftba,

Sim

My 5 favorite albums of ALL TIME.

Honorable mentions:

Disintegration by The Cure

Not Animal by Margot & The Nuclear So & Sos

Give Up by The Postal Service

The Pains of Being Pure At Heart by The Pains of Being Pure At Heart

Rubber Soul by The Beatles

Disclaimer - I'm not saying that any of these albums are better than any other albums, they just mean a lot to me.

#5 Up In Our Bedroom After The War by Stars

When I was fourteen I got really, really upset (I don't even remember what about) one night and I walked to a parking lot a few minuters away from my house and spent the entire night listening to this album on repeat.

It's not a hard album to seriously fall in love with. Listening to this album just fills me up with awkward nostalgia for my first two years of high school. If I had to pick an album to go along to a movie about my life between the ages of 14 and 16 it would be this one and the movie would be amazing.

Favorite tracks: Bitches In Tokyo, Life 2: The Unhappy Ending, The Ghost of Genova Heights, My Favorite Book, Midnight Coward (stop me before I list every single song on this album)

#4 The First Days of Spring by Noah and The Whale

Literally the perfect break up record. That is all I have to say.

Favorite tracks (in order): Slow Glass, Our Window, Blue Skies

#3 In The Aeroplane Over The Sea by Neutral Milk Hotel

After reading Will Grayson, Will Grayson (one of my least favorite books of all time) I was legitimately annoyed. The tiny little hipster named Lars that lives in my ears wanted to walk all the way to David Levithan (or John Green)'s living arangement and claw his eyes out. Why? You might ask. The answer is simple. In The Aeroplane Over The Sea. Some of the sweetest tunes I had ever heard in my entire life were going to be absolutely DESTROYED by youtube comments like "OMGLMFAOAHHH! LIKE THIS IF WG,WG BROUGHT YOU HERE" and that seriously annoyed me... Then I realized that how other people percieve and react to an album has absolutely nothing to do with me. That realization made me love this album even more, which is the only think that pushed it in front of #4. Otherwise there would have been a tie.

Favorite tracks: King of Carrot Flowers Pt. 1, Oh Comely, The Fool, Holland 1945, Communist Daughter

#2 Lifted or The Story Is In The Soil, Keep Your Ear To The Ground by Bright Eyes

"The picture's far too big to look at kid, your eyes won't open wide enough, and you're constantly surrounded by the swirling stream of what is and what was, well we all make our predictions but the truth still is enough. But if you want to see the future go stare into a cloud."

"And if I sold my soul for a bag of gold, to you, which one of us would be foolish one?"

"Well the future's got me worried such awful thoughts. My head's a carousel of pictures. The spinning never stops. I just want someone to walk in front, and I'll follow the leader"

No Lyrics have ever made me feel so PENSIVE as the words Conor Oberst sings in these 13 songs.

I fell in love with every single song on this album seperately. I never actually listened to the album in it's entirety until last year when I finally bought a physical copy of it... my relationship with Bright eyes has been so WEIRD. I discovered them literally right before I went to Europe for the first time. I heard a few FANTASTIC songs and bought their entire discography on itunes. I was putting the music on my ipod literally 5 minutes before I had to leave my house to drive to my Aunt's in Connecticut (I wasn't going with my parents that time), not realizing that I had deleted everything else on it.

The trip was honestly the worst trip of my entire life. I hated every second of it and all I had to distract me from how awful it was was Bright Eyes. Today listening to the album in it's entirety I can recall a memory from when I was there and listening to these songs. Memories like being on the Subway in Paris while listening to 'Nothing Gets Crossed Out' and having my aunt snatch the earbuds out of my ears because someone on the train obviously would have stolen my ipod. Or sitting by a window staring at the streets of Berlin while my Aunt, Uncle, and Cousins climbed up some random tower not noticing that I wasn't following them while listening to "Waste of Paint" on repeat. Or crying in the bathroom of the Louvre and thinking "I HATE YOU PEOPLE SO MUCH" while listening to "Let's Not Shit Ourselves" for the very first time in my entire life. Bright Eyes (and this album) got me through that trip, and they've been my favorite band ever since.

Favorite tracks: You Will. You? Will. You? Will. You? Will., Let's Not Shit Ourselves (To Love and To Be Loved), Nothing Gets Crossed Out, Bowl of Oranges, Don't Know When But A Day Is Gonna Come, From A Balance Beam, Waste of Paint (I'm aware that this is more than half of the album but it's so GOOD)

#1 Kid A by Radiohead

Kid A is a listening experience. I almost didn't want to call it my favorite album because I heard it for the first time a few months ago. I mean I'm practically still in the honeymoon phase with it. But for me it's literally a little piece of heaven that fell from the sky and into my ears. The feeling I get when I listen to Kid A is like realizing that your favorite hobby is slowly killing you, knowing that, and continuing to do it anyway.

It's deep shit, but you won't find all of that meaning in the lyrics. This album almost transcends meaning. Everyone I know that has ever heard it and liked it took away something completely different, but when Thom Yorke closes it with cries of "I think you're crazy" you believe it. and it's hard not to cry at that point.

Favorite Tracks: National Anthem, How To Disappear Completely, Idioteque, Motion Picture Soundtrack, Everything In It's Right Place, Kid A, In Limbo (See the favorite tracks of #2)

DFTBA,

Chuck

Springtime

It's Thursday, March 22, the second official day of spring!

Spring is my favourite season! People and animals coming out of hibernation, trees and plants blooming. The sun getting brighter and staying out longer. It's a season of rebirth and rejuvenation.

This year we all thought we'd be getting an early spring this year. It's been a mild winter and the last few weeks in particular have been warming up lots. The snow had almost completely melted and I was getting ready to break out the summer shoes.

And then today this happened...

Oh, hello again winter.

DFTBA,

-Kim

P.S. HUNGER GAMES COMES OUT TOMORROW!!!!! =D

A Rant On Relationships Or At Least How us.reachout.com Views Them

I'm sure you've all seen those "We've Been There" commercials. Well I checked out the site out of curiousity and this was one of the things I read that I had a serious issue with...

http://us.reachout.com/blog/forever-alone-on-february-14

And this was my response:

I'm sorry Brandon but this is the biggest piece of horsecrap I've ever read in my entire life. It is very, very possible to be single and happy, however to act as if being in a relationship is somehow bad annoys me. I mean from the looks of it you have absolutely no idea what being in a relationship is like.

"You can concentrate on doing things you enjoy. You don’t have to worry about pleasing someone else, so you can focus on yourself. Maybe finish reading that book you’ve always wanted to read or start up a new activity."

Because it's totally impossible to finish reading a book or start a new hobby or (god-forbid) do something you enjoy when you're with someone.

"Your decisions only affect you and don’t involve a partner's wants, needs or contradictory opinion. If you want to go to a certain restaurant, go for it. You have no one holding you back, no one you have to consult with first."

You don't have to ask your boyfriend/girlfriend about every single thing you do, if you do have to do that you're in what is called an "Unhealthy Relationship". If you're dating someone and they're holding you back then it's probably time to end it.

"You can save a lot of money. Let’s face it, relationships cost a lot of money. The dates, the presents, the clothes to look good, the gas money; it all adds up. When you’re, single you get to keep it all for yourself."

1) Dates don't have to break the bank, ever. The best date I've ever been on was when me and my then boyfriend went downtown and I brought him to all of my favorite places and then he brought me to all of his favorite places and the food's outrageously cheap in that area. Bam, perfect date, practically free.

2) I (and most people I know) would prefer if someone spent a couple hours making a mix CD (a FREE mix CD) than anything you could ever buy from any mall

3) You should want to look good anyway... not for anyone in particular just for you

4) Gas money shouldn't really be an issue unless your boyfriend/girlfriend lives 40 minutes away.

That said, here are some logical reasons why being single can be a good thing.

a) You can flirt with anyone you want.

b) You don't have to fill your parents in on every single aspect of your significant other's life (if your parents are as obnoxiously curious as mine)

c) You can play the field and figure out what you really want in a boyfriend/girlfriend

d) You can have absolutely no reason at all.

It seems absolutely redundant to attempt to make someone feel better about being single by telling them that being in a relationship sucks... Better possible advice? If you think you're sad because you're single you'll most likely be sad when you're not. Happy people have happy relationships, better yourself before considering one.

DFTBA,

Chuck

Postscript: I meant to post this last night, like I had it all typed and ready to go... I guess I just never pressed "Publish Post"